Pets of VUMC 2018 — Collection #7: Field and stream. Also yard and tub.

Kaitlin Costello, Allergy, Pulmonary, and Critical Care Medicine. “Bean is a 10-year-old Doberman Pinscher mix from the Nashville Humane Association. She was the runt of her litter, but she makes up for it with a giant personality.”

This is the seventh collection of photographs submitted by VUMC employees to the 2018 “VUMC Voice” Pet Photo Contest.

Almost 600 (!) photographs were submitted for the contest. (Remember — the top prize we offer in the contest is a photo of your pet shared in “VUMC Voice.”) And while we won’t be able to use all, or even most, of the pictures we received, we hope to showcase a good sample of the best of the beasts.

If you didn’t send in an entry this year, and your pet is peeved at you about it, please reassure him or her that there will be a “VUMC Voice” Pet Photo Contest next year, but explain that the deadline for entries for this year has passed, and no more pictures will be accepted. We hope your pet understands.

And the pets just keep on comin’. Watch for the next installment of “VUMC Voice” Pets of VUMC 2018 — coming soon.

Tiffanie Markus, Health Policy. “We brought Brandi home when my grandmother passed away. She is extremely loving and a very good listener. She is always smiling.”

Elke Hoffman, Obstetrics and Gynecology. “Barley Bear is a rescue from Georgia. She was thrown out on the street, and hit by a car before her first rescuer found her. She is an 8-year-old St. Bernard/German Shepherd mix. She has no idea how big she is as she plays and snuggles. Her absolute favorite thing on the planet (besides her family) is cold weather. She can be in it playing for hours.”

Deena Stainaker, Children’s Hospital Pediatric Cardiology. “This picture of Banjo was taken in the woods in his pasture in the late summer as he waited for me to take him to the barn for a ride. He looked like a fairy tale horse, surrounded by all those wildflowers.”

Liz Nix, Patient Access Services. Zappa.

Julie Garcia, Pediatric Social Work. “Hawkeye is my early morning running buddy and loves to hike. Additional hobbies include chasing deer, squirrels, and birds in the yard.”

Jessica Hanson, Maternal Fetal Medicine. “Paisley is a 6-year old Dalmatian. Her hobbies include cuddling, giving lots of kisses, chasing bunnies, visiting the local Lowe’s (and getting lots of treats), and taking lots of naps.”

Jessica Bounsana, MCE OR. “Maggie is a 2-year-old brindle mixed breed who has a lot of personality. She has always loved playing dress-up.”

James Drew, Health IT.“Ulanna is a 4-year old German Shepherd. She is a service K9 who supports her human best friend and has been placed with the family for the past 3 years. She is truly a member of the family and keeps a watchful eye out. She loves being outside and going everywhere with her family.”

Christina Thompson, Neuro ICU.Pola is an 11-year-old husky mix. She was adopted from a shelter in Knoxville at 3 months old. Even in her older years she likes to chase after squirrels, lie on her blanket, going for long walks, and getting treats.”

Jeanne Wallace, Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology.“Wally is a 10-year old thoroughbred/draft horse cross. He actively competes in three-day events. The photo was taken at the Middle Tennessee Pony Club Horse Trials at Warner Park which is the oldest continuously running recognized horse trial in North America.”

McKenzie Winecoff, Neuro ICU. Bo the boxer.

Paula Buckner, 6 North Neurosciences.Oscar the shih tzu.

Melanie Gomez, Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research. “Lil’ Wayne is a service dog to my 12-year-old son Dominic who has special needs. Lil’ Wayne, simply put, is the joy of our lives. He loves children, giving hugs, playing fetch, and talking. He can say: ‘I love you’, ‘please’, and ‘thank you’, and can also understand commands in Spanish, Dutch, and German.”

VUMC Health Plan members have access to Teladoc

Employees, who are VUMC Health Plan members and their adult dependents, now have access to Teladoc, a virtual care service staffed by more than 3,000 licensed physicians who can diagnose and treat a wide range of non-emergent medical conditions, from rashes to upper respiratory infections. Click here to learn more.

90-Day Refills Available at All Eligible Pharmacies

Now members of the VUMC Health Plan can purchase 90-day prescription refills at all eligible pharmacies, such as Walgreens, CVS, Kroger, Publix, Walmart and Costco. The 90-day refill option means fewer trips to the pharmacy. The copays and maximums will be three times the 30-day copay and maximum rate for the health plan tier in which you are enrolled. To find out if your pharmacy is eligible, contact Navitus at 866.333.2757.

Through the exceptional capabilities and caring spirit of its people, Vanderbilt will lead in improving the healthcare of individuals and communities regionally, nationally and internationally. We will combine our transformative learning programs and compelling discoveries to provide distinctive personalized care.